Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

How do you know when the nursing home your loved ones are in has become a prison?  

It’s heartbreaking to think of our parents or grandparents being in a position of being abused by those who are supposed to be caring for them.  We want to think that their needs are being attended to, and most of the time, they are.  But the statistics and cases of abuse and neglect in nursing homes can be staggering, and only a fraction of abuse and neglect cases are ever reported.  It can even get to the shocking point of physical abuse, assault, and rape.  

Physical abuse often results in injuries that are somewhat obvious… bruises, scrapes, broken bones, etc.  Personality changes can indicate a problem as well.  Do they seem afraid?  Has the otherwise talkative and outgoing loved one now become quiet and withdrawn?  

Neglect may be harder to see.  Bed sores are often a good indication that their needs are not being attended to.  Does the bed appear dirty?  Are their hair and fingernails clean?  Is there odor in the bed, on their clothes, or on them as though they haven’t been bathed?  Have they lost weight as though they are not being fed properly?  

Often the victims of abuse or neglect are too scared or incapacitated to report the incidents, so the horror continues with very little indication.  Any change in personality, physical condition or appearance, or habits should be looked into aggressively.   Observe how they respond to their caretakers when they are in the room.  Are they startled, or appear scared at the presence of a certain nurse or orderly?  If possible, watch from a distance how they treat your loved one.  Sometimes it’s nothing more than a look in their eyes that there is something wrong.  

If you suspect that there is a problem, speak with the nursing home administrator immediately and voice your concerns.  It may be a single employee with a lack of adequate training in doing their job, or a lack of concern in it.   If you suspect the problem goes beyond that level, contact authorities outside of the home, which may include police, depending on the nature of the issues.

Don’t hesitate to contact our offices to find out your rights, and the rights of your loved ones.  Having them removed from the home immediately may be the first course of action.

Armed with Golf Clubs and a Broad Blade, Paul Diguiseppi Builds a Drywall Giant

When he doesn’t have a drywall saw in his hand, it’s a golf club…or a sushi roll.

Paul Diguiseppi began his dry walling career while still in high school, working with his family during the summers. In 1982, he amassed enough experience to begin his own company, West Coast Drywall, in San Dimas, California.

Four years later, he expanded and moved operations to Anaheim, California. In 1992, he started Champion Drywall, Inc. in Las Vegas, Nevada, and has grown to one of the premier drywall companies in Southern Nevada.

But when Mr. Diguiseppi is done with the nail gun, you can usually find him driving balls on the golf course, his favorite being at the Wynn Resort in Las Vegas. He is also a big fan of the Bellagio Buffett, Flemming’s Prime Steakhouse, and sushi in general.

In 2010, Paul Diguiseppi was honored with the Safety Award for “Outstanding Commitment in Developing a Culture of Safety" for Champion Drywall, Inc. Mr. Diguiseppi instituted pro-active safety guidelines, including ladder and scaffold safety and mandatory eye and head protection, which are strictly followed on every job. In addition, all employees are refreshed on safety procedures and updated on new procedures every ten days. These safety measures far exceed OSHA’s standards.

Mr. Diguiseppi’s companies have also been involved in projects with Habitat for Humanity, Home Aid for homeless families, and Extreme Home Makeover.

If you have a building project in mind, or are just in need of drywall work and painting, you can contact Paul Diguiseppi at Champion Drywall, Inc., 702-262-0144, and maybe discuss your project over 18 holes at the Wynn!

A Serious How-To on Installing/Repairing Drywall

Drywall isn’t just convenient for hanging pictures on.  It provides protection, insulation, and even sound proofing from the outside.  A poorly done dry walling job negates many of those benefits. 

Even simple repairs can be tricky to create a nice, smooth surface to repaint and blend in with the surroundings.  How often have you noticed the cracked spackle, poor seams, or revealing drywall tape behind the paint in shabbily constructed or maintained buildings… or left behind by inexperienced repairmen?

Professionals and experts in the field would always advise someone to go to a professional drywall company do the work for you, but if you’re set on fixing that hole in the wall that resulted from your best friend tackling you during the Super Bowl party you just had (and somebody’s really mad at you), here are some tips to make it look like you did a bit more than slap a board and some spackle on it.

First of all, have the right tools for the size and complexity of the job, which would begin with at least a measuring tape, utility knife, inside corner tool (if doing a corner), a selection of broad knifes, a sponge, and a spackle tray.  If you’re doing a major job such as dry walling a whole wall or room, a few more tools may be necessary:  A spiral saw, screw gun, 4-foot T-square, drywall saw, sander, and ladders (at least a couple so you’re not having to move the same one back and forth constantly). 

If you have to replace drywall, or you’re putting some new drywall up, decide which type you need.   There are many types and thicknesses of drywall:   standard, waterproof, 1/4 inch, 1/2 inch and 5/8 inch. Sheet sizes are usually 4x8, but you can also get 4x10, 4x12, and 4x14.

If you’re replacing a piece of drywall that was already sitting nice and flat, you should be ok putting a new one up.  If it’s a new wall, make sure that all the studs are lined up correctly so that the drywall sits flat and flush against them.  Stretching a cord along the wall with a partner and looking down the cord is a good way of seeing if any of them are out of line.  If something’s not right, it should be fixed.  In some cases a planer may be necessary to shave some wood off a stud or rafters.

  

You want to make sure all corners of the drywall are supported by framing, even if you have to add a stud somewhere.  Window and door framing should also have room to anchor the drywall to it.

Drywall screws are always the best thing to use for drywall, as nails have a tendency to give over time, especially in climates that cause the wood to contract and expand frequently.  Get screws that are at least an inch to an inch and a half longer than the thickness of the drywall.  Tighten them snug, but without tearing the paper.  If you’re doing a whole wall or a room, you really need a drill or drywall screw gun, which can be rented and will save a lot of time, not to mention your arm. 

For a whole room, start with the ceiling panels, then the lower wall panels, and last the upper wall panels.

Cutting is done by cutting through the surface paper only.  Then “break” the drywall along the line, and cut through the back paper.  If you have a rough edge, you can use a rasp to smooth it out.

Cutting for outlet and switch boxes can be very tricky as well.  Putting a hole in the wrong place can waste a whole sheet of drywall.  You may want cutouts for inset shelves or pictures, but you’ll have to be sure what you want to do will work with the studs.   Make sure you have the measurements precise and level.  You’ll be reaching for another sheet of drywall if you screw up. 

After you have the outline of the cutout, cut through the surface paper along it, and then cut an “X” with two diagonal lines from corner to corner.  Then…carefully… push the center of the “X” and “break” the drywall along the lines, and then cut the back paper.  Don’t go “karate” on it!  It doesn’t take much to break, and if you go too hard on it, you could damage the rest of the drywall sheet. 

You can also use a spiral, keyhole, or drywall saw if you feel confident with one, but you’ll probably want a mask for the dust that will result.  If you’re trying to keep the rest of the house clean, use the utility knife.

Once you have made sure all screw heads are below the surface of the paper, and all panels are lined up correctly, you’re ready to tape.  This will probably take some practice to get right.  Just tape over all seams, and try not to allow the tape to get out of line or fold up anywhere. 

Outside corners take a lot of abuse, and corner bead is necessary to protect them.  You can get metal or plastic corners, depending on how exposed that outside corner is, and it can be square or rounded.  Your choice of corner radius may affect how the drywall matches up at the corner.  Once the corner bead is in place, tape and spackle.

Start spackling with the nail and screw holes first, along with any other dents, holes, or minor damage that may have occurred during the course of the project.  The technique is to use a spackling knife to apply spackle to the hole, and swipe over it to remove the excess, leaving a smooth surface.  You will want to do this twice, because the drying spackle will contract as moisture dissipates, causing it to crack.  The second pass will fill in the cracks. The joints between panels will take three passes to smooth out, and broad knives between eight and twelve inches are best for this part.

 The inside corners might take a little work, especially if you don’t have an inside corner tool.  Normally, you would use one to shape the glob of spackle into a corner and smooth it out down the length of the corner.  This tool is shaped properly for the corner, where anything used to substitute may not be.  If you’re doing a job big enough to have to spackle the corner, do yourself a favor and get an inside corner tool.  This will also take two or three passes, to fill the length of the corner.

The spackle turns white as it dries, but it can still be wet on the inside.  Once it’s all dry, you can sand the rough spots and find flaws and errors that might need a little more work.  It might take a lot of work to get rid of all the evidence of tape, screw holes, and joints.  As written earlier, not a simple task for the inexperienced.  The friend that tackled you better be here for this part, at least.

Once you are satisfied with the surface of your new drywall, you will have to put on some drywall sealer before painting.  Primer will work too.  Now you’re ready to paint in your favorite team’s colors… or whatever you’re being told to paint it...

If after weighing the options, you decide that a professional would be the better choice (it is…), then companies like West Coast Drywall in California, or Champion Drywall, Inc. in Southern Nevada are a good place to start.

The Benefits of Hiring a Professional Drywall Contractor

Painting and drywall work is not an area to skimp or attempt to do yourself. If you are not skilled in the field, there is great potential for costly mistakes. How many times have you noticed the paper seams through the paint on a wall? Have you ever seen the work of a lazy painter – where The Drywall wasn’t put on smoothly and the wall plates have been painted over? Scraping the paint from a power outlet so you can use the plug is not only irritating, but also dangerous.

A seasoned professional drywall company may be the solution for the hole in the wall left by that doorknob (and a striker plate, while you’re at it). A seasoned professional may also be the answer to getting rid of that awful color the previous owner left in the kitchen. Maybe you’re building your dream home and looking for a reputable company with skilled professionals – you need a company with all the necessary certifications, so you can make sure it’s done right the first time.

Champion Drywall started out in San Dimas, California in 1982 as West Coast Drywall, then Paul Diguiseppi moved operations to Anaheim in 1986. In 1992 Paul expanded the company to Las Vegas, Nevada, and renamed it to Champion Drywall of Nevada, Inc. Diguiseppi and his team of engineers and consultants have the ability to handle a project from the design and cost estimation phases through completion. Champion Drywall handles single and multi-family homes, commercial buildings, podium and prevailing wage projects, as well as HOA improvements.

All of Champion’s foremen and crewmembers are OSHA certified and Diguiseppi has implemented extensive safety guidelines, which far exceed the industry standard. Additional scaffold and ladder guidelines are strictly followed, as well as mandatory safety procedures on every job, regardless of the simplicity or complexity of the project. Champion Drywall, Inc. is also NHQ Certified by the National Association of Home Builders.

Champion Drywall’s website includes an extensive list of projects they are involved with throughout California and Nevada, including community support programs like Extreme Home Makeover and Project Playhouse.

So the next time your buddy from work offers to fix that hole in your wall or paint your kitchen, politely pass and get the job done right with Champion Drywall, Inc. – you won’t regret it.

Texting While Driving

Do we really need a warning label on a bottle of Drano stating that ingesting the contents could result in death?  Is it really necessary to stamp “Do Not Eat” on those little packets of silica gel that came in the box with your new stereo?  Do you need someone to tell you not to put a firecracker in your mouth?  You would be hard pressed to find anybody who has actually done any of those things, yet texting while driving is common enough that it has become one of the leading causes of vehicle accidents.

You might think that distracting one’s self from the road while controlling a two-ton or more vehicle would be tantamount to drinking Drano, therefore, nobody would do it.  Sadly, it happens all too often.  For example, in 2009, a 30-year-old school teacher in Endwell, New York was killed by one of her own students… a teenager who was texting while driving.

It seems ridiculous that laws have had to be passed making such an activity illegal, much like warning labels on chemical bottles, but it’s a statement of how common it is.  The 2008 Chatsworth train collision in Los Angeles, California was blamed on the operator of one of the trains missing a signal due to sending a text message.  That tragedy killed 25 people, including the distracted Metrolink engineer.

In June 2009, Car and Driver magazine conducted a study and found that reaction times and stopping distances increased 36 feet for reading texts, and nearly doubled to 70 feet for writing and sending a text.  By way of comparison, being legally drunk only increased stopping distances by four feet over an unimpaired driver.

Another study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute a month later showed that drivers took their eyes off the road for an average of four to five seconds while sending a text… long enough to travel the length of a football field.  That’s one hundred yards of other vehicles, bicyclists, pedestrians, and various other obstacles in harm’s way.

Unfortunately, studies in many of the states that have passed laws and bans on cell phone use show that accident statistics continue to rise in spite of those restrictions. 

Bicycle Accidents Overlooked All Too Often

One often overlooked aspect of personal injury is bicycling.  It’s easy for the bicyclist to feel as though they have no rights on the road.  They’re much smaller, much slower, and much less powerful.  Some cities are much less bicycle friendly than others as well, with no lanes or shoulders to ride on, leaving the bicyclist to either the street (often dangerous) or the sidewalks (usually against the law).

Most laws dictate that bicycle riders follow the same rules and laws as motor-vehicles, and in some cases, they may be given similar rights as pedestrians.  But it can be scary to have to share the same lane with cars and trucks, especially when they’re rushing by you at 30 to 50 miles per hour close enough to feel the air blow by.  Ride on the sidewalk, and although you may feel safer from the traffic, you may be posing a risk to pedestrian traffic, and you may get a ticket.

It may be of little consolation to some riders out there, but the drivers of those motor vehicles are supposed to follow some laws and rules where you’re concerned as well.  It’s common to see the yellow diamond-shaped signs indicating bicycle traffic, or the signs pleading with drivers to “share the road.”  But many times they are the bullies of the road… running you on to the sidewalk, or off the road into rough terrain your bicycle may not be built for.

The statistics on traffic accidents are grim, and what’s worse, they’re not complete.  That’s because most bicycle-related accidents are not reported to or by police unless they involve death or serious injury.  Most of the hit-and-run drivers in bicycle-related accidents are never caught because unless there are other drivers and witnesses, there is rarely enough information to go on.  It’s very difficult for most bicycle riders who are dealing with losing or trying to maintain control of their bike to pay attention to details such as what kind of car it was or the plate number.   Even the color of a car can be hard to recall through the after-effects of such an event.   

Naturally, the best protection is road awareness and following the rules, as well as wearing the proper protective gear (helmet, pads, etc).  Also very important, (and required by law in most places), are lights.  A headlight on the handlebars, a red light usually attached to the seat post pointed to the rear, and reflectors in the spokes make the bicycle more visible from all sides at night.  You can improve your chances even more with reflective clothing.  

As with driving a motor vehicle, skill is also important.  Learn to control your bicycle well before braving the wild roads.  The ability to keep your balance while making evasive maneuvers can mean the difference between simply catching your breath after a scary moment and an ambulance ride… or worse.

When at-fault drivers do stop or are caught, they usually get off the hook because of the lack of evidence, or it’s assumed that the bicyclist was at fault.  Proper representation is crucial in any type of injury case, and especially in the case of bicycle injuries, where the shadow of blame is often already cast.  Remember, bicyclists are the 90-pound weaklings of the road, and are easily pushed around by the heavier, faster, and sometimes not-very-observant motor vehicle drivers.  There are laws in your favor as well, and knowing your rights is important.